CrO3,H2SO4
CH3-CH2-CH2-OH ————>
The correct answer and explanation is :
The reaction you are asking about involves chromium trioxide (CrO3) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) with 1-propanol (CH3-CH2-CH2-OH) as the substrate.
Reaction:
1-propanol (CH3-CH2-CH2-OH) reacts with a combination of chromium trioxide (CrO3) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to produce propanal (CH3-CH2-CHO), an aldehyde. This is a typical example of an oxidation reaction where the alcohol is oxidized to an aldehyde.
Mechanism:
- Step 1: CrO3 (Chromium trioxide) in the presence of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) acts as an oxidizing agent.
- Step 2: The -OH group of the alcohol undergoes oxidation. The primary alcohol (1-propanol) is converted into an aldehyde (propanal). The CrO3 provides chromium(VI) ions that facilitate the removal of two hydrogen atoms (one from the hydroxyl group and one from the adjacent carbon), oxidizing the alcohol to the corresponding aldehyde.
The overall reaction:
[ CH3-CH2-CH2-OH + CrO3 + H2SO4 \rightarrow CH3-CH2-CHO + H2O + Cr^3+ ]
Explanation:
- Chromium trioxide is a strong oxidizing agent and is commonly used in organic chemistry for the oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes or secondary alcohols to ketones.
- The reaction occurs in an acidic medium (due to H2SO4) to help stabilize the transition state during the oxidation process. The chromium species (CrO3) helps abstract the hydride ion (H-) and a proton (H+) from the alcohol group, transforming it into an aldehyde group (-CHO).
- The aldehyde produced, in this case, is propanal (CH3-CH2-CHO), which is a 3-carbon aldehyde.
CrO3 with H2SO4 is known as the Jones reagent, which is highly effective for the oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes and secondary alcohols to ketones. This reagent is commonly used because it provides selective oxidation without over-oxidation into carboxylic acids.

Here is the chemical reaction diagram showing the oxidation of 1-propanol to propanal using chromium trioxide (CrO3) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4). The diagram highlights the transformation from the alcohol group (-OH) to the aldehyde group (-CHO), illustrating the oxidation process.